Life-buoy.



LEON ADAMS'SEABL. OF NEW YORK, N; Y.

LIFE-BUOY.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LnoN AnAMs SEARL, a.

life buoys and is intended to provide a safe means of transferring passengers from an imperiled ship to shore or from an imperiled ship to a rescue ship.

It :is designed to be used in place of life boats or in emergencies where the launching of a lifeboat would be unsafe or impossible; or to be used in place of the breeches buoy where the rigging of a taut hawser would be impossible.

A further object of this invention is to provide a quick launching life buoy that will serve as a life boat without the risk of capsizing, being swamped or exposed to the elements, also to provide a ventilated, non-sinkable, non-capsizable and practically non-crushable life buoy of light weight that will float indefinitely and carry sufficient food and water to use incases of emergency where rescue ships or the shore is not close at hand and where its occupants have to float until rescued or blown ashore.

Referring to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification wherein I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section, Fig. 2 is a section of the valve arrangement slightly enlarged, and Fig. 3 is a detail of the lattice securing device.

Similar reference characters refer to sim* ilar parts throughout the drawings.

The body portion of my life buoy is of very light construction, consisting of ribs 1, covered by a water ti'ght covering 2 of canvas or of very thin metal. The inside of the body is padded, as indicated at 3, and provided with arm pieces 1 to assist the occupant in maintaining a secure position. A hollow extension 5 is provided at the bottom of the buoy, preferably shaped like a truncated cone, and adapted to be covered by a folding grating 6. In case water inadvertently enters the life buoy, it will remain in the extension 5, thereby providing a dry floor for the occupant of the buoy. The grating may be removed, how- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 12, 1914.

Patented Oct. 27, 1914.

Serial No. 824,084.

over, under ordinary conditions, in which case the occupant may sit at the side of the life buoy with his limbs in the extension. More occupants can be accommodated comfortably with this construction than with any other. An occupant or occupants seated in this manner also increases the stability of the buoy owing to the low centerof gravity. The extension is provided with rollers 7, so that it may be moved easily on shipboard, and also is provided with. fins 8 which prevent the life buoy] from spinning in the water if it be of a circular construction. These fins also brace the bottom of the buoy and the extension 5. The bottom of the life buoy around the extension 5 is made double to form com partments i) and 10, in one of which food and water may be stored, and the other of which may be used for any purposethat necessity may deem advisable.

In order to provide a low center of gravity, the top of the life buoy is made with slanting sides 11. A door 12 is provided in said sides, which may be locked both from within and without by the bolt 13 having an outside extension 1 1 and an inside extension 15. Above the slanting sides 11,is a reduced portion 16 provided with port holes 17 and top lights 18. The top of the reduced portion 16 forms a support for a valve casing 19, having a large top opening 20, and small upper and lower side openings 21. In each side opening 21 is a valve 22 of any desired type, adapted to admit air but to prevent entrance of water. The valve casing 19 is provided at the bottom with a thick base 23, the inner edge of which extends inwardly beyond the bottom. portion 25 of a hollow cup 26, which is )rovided with an opening or openings 27 for a purpose to be referred to hereinafter. This cup is fixed on a central rod 28, slidably mounted in bearings 29 at the top and at the bottom of the valve easing. The bearings are supported by arms 30 extending from the inner wall of the valve casing and are as thin and as few as possible consistent with necessary strength. Rod 28 normally is maintained in upward position by springs 31 mounted thereon between bearings 29 and shoulders 32 provided on said red. A circular extension 33 extends upwardly from the inner wall of the valve casing, starting just below the upper side openings 22 and extending toward the bottom of the cup 26.. The parts are so proportioned that when the rod 28 is in upward or normal position, air spaces 3% are provided between the bot tom portion 25 of the cup 26 and circular extension 33, and between bottom portion 25 of the cup 26 and the top of thick base 23. The sides of the air spaces are designed to form a valve closure, th reby clos-- ing said spaces when the rod 28 is in lowered position. A rope 35 is attached to the bottom of rod 28 for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

The very light construction of the body of the life buoy is made possible by a protecting lattice 36, which is so designed as to be removed easily in order that the body may be painted or otherwise protected from rust. This protecting lattice is provided with a suitable door 12 coincident with the door 12 in the body of the life buoy and is fastened in any desired manner. The lower ends of each longitudinal lattice member are reduced in size in order that each end may pass through a slot 38, provided in an extension 39 at the bottom of the life buoy, where the end is held in place by a cotter pin 40 or any other well-known fastening device. To secure the lattice in position on the body, the top of the straight sides 2, and the top of the reduced portion 16, are provided with open end sockets L2 spaced apart to receive an enlarged portion 41 (which may be wedge shaped) on the longi tudinal lattice members, which enters the socket and thereby is held firmly in place when the lattice is in lowered and secured position. When the lattice is raised sufficiently to bring the enlarged portion of the longitudinal lattice members beyond the sockets 4-2, said members can be removed through the open end of the sockets.

Hooks 43 are provided on the upper portion of the lattice in order that a noose may be held in position thereover when it is de' sired to lift a life buoy from the water or secure one or more together for towing purposes. The top of the protecting lattice is provided with a spray hood 4:4: extending a little below the top of the valve casing 19 in order to prevent spray or waves from entering opening 20. @ne or more of the lattice members 45 extends over hood 4% to strengthen it. The other lattice members may be secured to the hood in any desired manner.

The operation and utility of my device is as follows: These life buoys are stowed on shipboard in the same way as life boats are stowed and may be built in any convenient size to accommodate one or more persons. In case of accident at sea, the doors 12 and 12 are opened, one or more persons get in side, and both doors are securely fastened. The life buoy is rolled to the place of body on is cup 26, the weight of the water forcit to closed position until the water. was discharged through opening 27 in the'bottom of the cup through lower side openentering water would strike on the upper surrace of the circular extension 33 and be discharged through upper openings 21. The

line 1.38 wa in "1101 n o nin,

l 4 y tl 1g top e g20 would g If the weight of water was not, 'suliicient to close the air s aces entirel an lattice 36 protects the body of the life buoy v n from in ury in case of bumping against ther buoys or against the sides of the ship, and at the time permits the construction to be very light, which is an important consideration inlife buoys adapted to be carried on shipboard as well as in reeches buoys.

instead of being launched, as above de- .cribed, and used as substitutes for life s boats, they can also be used in place of a...

breeches ouoy where the rigging of a taut ilfliVSBl from ship to shore cannot be accomplished. hey are used in this instance 1n coniunction with a line gun and haullng The life, buoy, when designed'for this-..

use, can be large enough to haul ten or more passengers at each trip. When used in this manner they insure a safe launching, transfe ring and landing of pasg .g stanchion on shore, a taut hawser connecting shore and ship suspending ropes with traveling block and tail block and'do away with the dangerous o en canvas short eliminate the necessity for r1g-..

legged breeches. They may also be used for sporting passengers from an imperiled ship to a nearby ship of safety, provided the two ships are close enough to pass a hawser line flzom one to the other.

While T of my invention, T am aware that it may be modified without departing from the spirit of my invention or from the scope of my claims and that the valve structure may be have described one embodiment-- used in any other combination where a valve of this type is desirable.

What ll claim is: V

1. in a life buoy, a cylindrical body portion provided wi h a ventilating opening in the top, a lattice work surrounding said portion comprising plurality of vertical members converging at their upper ends at a point over said opening and a mounted on the valve and so disposed as to 10 spray hood located over said opening and be filled by Water entering the buoy, and a secured to said vertical members, substandrain for said cup arranged to deliver the tially as described. accumulated Water outside of the buoy, all

2. In a life buoy, a body, azmeans to prefor the purpose described.

vent the entrance of Water and permit the LEON ADAMS SEARL.

entrance of air therein comprising an open- Witnesses;

ing and valve therein, a spring normally IVARREN H. SMALL,

holding the valve in open position, a cup WALTER S. JONES.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of IPatents,

Washington, D. C." 

